Fine China
by Luna-Bell07
Summary: MoGlitch. Set during Spotlight. Glitch has grown into something amazing, and Mo feels like his protege's leaving him behind. But something much greater than friendship burns between them. Will either of them acknowledge it?
1. Chapter 1

Set during Dance Central Spotlight. Can be Mo/Glitch friendship or MoGlitch.

Summary: _Everyone thinks I made you. They're wrong. You've been the one making me, right from the very beginning. You're the one that still makes me, breaks me, leads me to where I need to be. I'm glad you're a part of the one I am, and the one I'm meant to become. I'd be nothing without you, and I want you to know that._

* * *

It felt like it was yesterday, when the world stood still long enough for him to breathe. But then, in the blink of an eye, someone pulled the rug from underneath him. The bricks that went into his tower weren't bricks at all; they were flimsy wooden toys, and all crumbled in a teeny, tiny second.

It must've been yesterday, him finding the friend he'd come to love with fierce abandon. The stage was set; the world was soaked in rain, and there Glitch was sitting. Sitting all alone on a pier. Waiting for help he believed would never come. Standing in the middle of nowhere, hoping someone would see him.

Someone _did._

At first, Mo felt as if he were taking home a brand-new puppy. A creature so adorable, his cuteness should've been punishable by law. That same creature was helpless, though. Lost. Forced to wander through the rain without light, song or hope. Would anyone come after him? Was anyone missing the shivering, tearful bundle he found on the Santa Monica Pier?

Sure, he took a kid off the pier. Not exactly like picking up an abandoned stereo, or an old concert ticket. But if someone thought the kid was important enough to keep around, wouldn't they have treated him more like a human? Instead of throwing him out like a Christmas tree in January?

Looking into wide, frightened, hopeless green eyes reminded Mo of a monumental saying 'finders keepers, losers weepers'. The more apt philosophy? 'One man's trash was another man's treasure'. Oblio would've been proud.

His new roommate was something electrifying. Something so incredible, it was difficult to put a finger on him. The tiny, quivering ball of tears crashed into Mo's life without a name, hardly had clothes, and sure the hell didn't have any family coming after him, but Mo had found someone that made life transcendent. Someone that proved life came in a spectrum of colors, not just the monotone steps he took each day. As he liked to put it:

"I've found the tight verse that goes with my beat."

The Brea had stumbled upon an ancient city when all he intended to do was step outside his apartment. Not a bad trade-off, especially since the Brea was in the middle of the ocean. Trapped in a vortex of his own loneliness. He whisked the little ball of tears into his life and whammo, instant magic. A reason to open his eyes in the morning. Someone to smile over, think about, cherish. Teach. Uplift.

Mo unwittingly took home his reason to be.

* * *

Weeks melted into months. Months blossomed into years. Through the good, the bad and the ugly, they swore to remain a team. Along with the rest of the world, Mo watched as the other half of his heart grew into something that never should've been thrown away with the rest of the trash. Glitch was fire, light, sound and wonder. Mo thanked his mother over and over again for giving him her good sense, because without it-

He would've ended up missing that perfect verse. Would've ended up missing late breakfasts with homemade pancakes, cartoons, dance-offs. Dance Central 2. Hitting the streets as a crew. Saving the world in Dance Central 3.

Hi-Def's founder eventually realized he hadn't found a puppy. He found something cute and cuddly, all right, but it was more along the lines of a cocoon. And from that cocoon-

Burst the most beautiful butterfly he had ever seen.

Glitch was still Glitch, sure. He was still song and dance wrapped into one living, breathing package. There was still that same light, that same warmth and invigorating magic, but so much had _changed._ He wasn't a puppy stuck to his mentor's heels. He wasn't the dancer that lost to the Glitterati at the beginning of Dance Central 2. He was-

Something Mo was desperately afraid of losing.

Taye said it came with the package, the pains of watching them grow up. "I'm goin' through th' same shit with T, Tiger," the young woman said, slapping her childhood friend on the back with a big sister's smile. Mo had hit her up for few minutes, in desperate need of a friend's voice, feeling the gap between himself and Glitch grow by the second. At that point in time, the Brea felt as if they were separated by the Pacific Ocean.

Didn't exactly translate into a crew being on the same page. Let alone the same planet.

"Ya know what they say about 'em leavin' the nest, bro."

Mo thinking about Glitch 'leaving the nest' was like thinking about himself being skinned alive. But he knew it was a possibility. Sure, Glitch swore they'd always be a crew, 'because you're my ace and I need you like you need me', but that wasn't enough. There was always something stabbing the back of Mo's mind, something telling him to stay asleep or else the dream would end. Or else he'd open his eyes in the morning and find himself in an empty apartment, without any of Glitch's Kingdom Hearts posters, sewing machine or cd collections.

But he knew it was a possibility.

Glitch could run his own crew with both hands tied behind his back, both eyes closed and hanging from a ceiling. Life was a speeding reel of images that left Mo behind, unable to hold any precious memories for more than a second. His protege really couldn't be called his protege any more. Things had changed so much, _Glitch_ had changed so much, that Mo's old nicknames for him seemed just about as appropriate as a musical was at a funeral.

Mo's greatest fear was waking up.

* * *

Glitch was tired of trying to keep Mo asleep.

He didn't mind reassuring his mentor, his hero and best friend they'd never break apart. Not a thing in Hell would wrench them from each other. They were a crew. A team until the end of time. But having to reassure a mopey, pensive Brea fifty times in a day? The younger half of Hi-Def didn't know that was in the fine print of his job application. The one he apparently filled out when he agreed to looking after Mo.

"I swear, Mochi, you're th' one goin' through some funky mood swings, not me," the younger man groaned playfully, shouldering his bag, heading off to another local dance-off. Yet another opportunity for him to promote Mo's crew. _Their_ crew.

"Man. Just 'cuz I grew a few inches, yer actin' like it's th' end of the world or somethin'. Dial back to threat level chill, yo."

For the tenth thousandth time that week, Glitch walked out of their apartment and vanished. Leaving behind a quiet, heavy-hearted Mo that was desperately trying to keep his eyes closed. Opening them would make his partner vanish _forever._

And the Brea didn't fancy tearing his own heart out of his chest.

Why was Mo so afraid of losing his other half? Why not just take Glitch at his word and move onto something else, like worrying about Tan in the timestream?

Because it came with the package.

It came with loving someone so much, their smile meant more to you than the air you needed to breathe. It came with memories, smiles, laughter and hope. It came from loving someone with such intensity, their mere presence made you believe anything was possible.

It came with loving someone so beautiful, their existence defied every bullet point in reality's handbook. Glitch and T were growing up, true, all Nanobytes grew up eventually, but that wasn't it. Glitch was _blossoming._ Like a flower after a long, harsh Winter.

At some point, 'he's gonna wake up and realize he don't need me anymore'.

Glitch was perfectly fine, right where he was.

Taking care of Mo had him sighing a lot. Since when did his partner become such a worry-wart? Sure, the Brea got down a few times. Became quiet, worried, lost in thought, but Mo had taken up a full-time position of worrying. Over something that would_never_ happen. Wondering how he'd tackle his mentor at the end of his afternoon dance-off, Glitch threw down his bag. Otherwise known as his arsenal.

Hm. Maybe the two of them would go out for a round of basketball. With Bodie and Emilia. That would take Mo's mind off of things he _really_ had no business worrying about.

Out of his bag came a water bottle. But something else came out with it. Green eyes narrowed in curiosity-Mo had tied something to his water bottle. They left each other notes of encouragement, and notes that simply said 'have a great day', but that wasn't a mere note. It was something people usually called a 'letter'.

An arrow lodged itself in Glitch's heart. It must've been serious. Otherwise, Mo would've either called him or just sent a text. Sure, his mentor was off-the-wall weird whenever he felt like it, but why go through the trouble of writing a _letter?_

The clamor of the upcoming dance-off became a foreign, blurred language. The younger half of Hi-Def felt as if he were standing in the middle of a vortex, holding a letter that had the power to change the world. Of course it wouldn't affect the entire human race-just _his_ world. His tiny yet huge, warm, colorful world.

The world Mo had given him.

Biting his bottom lip, hoping the Brea wasn't about to run off and do anything ridiculously stupid (would've been the fifth time that week), Glitch opened the letter.

_To the one I used to call Nanobyte:_

_I know you're probably wondering why I don't call you that any more. It's because it doesn't fit any more. You're not the one I found that day, on the pier. Not any more. You've become something amazing. Something that defies words. You've become someone that defines me and I'm happy to say that. Happy to have you a part of who I am._

_Everyone thinks I made you. They're wrong. You've been the one making me, right from the very beginning. You're the one that still makes me, breaks me, leads me to where I need to be. I'm glad you're a part of the one I am, and the one I'm meant to become. I'd be nothing without you, and I want you to know that._

_You keep telling me that things will always stay the same, but I know they won't. They've already changed so much. One day I'll wake up and you'll tell me it's time to move on. Have to spread your wings someday, right? And I don't want to be the one to hold you back._

_Wouldn't be a great way to pay you back, after what you did for me, back on the pier._

Glitch sat with the letter in hand, silent. Unreadable.

There was one less contestant at the dance-off, but hey. It wasn't like Hi-Def needed any more cred.

* * *

_Author's Notes: I just have a lot of feels about Spotlight and Glitch's new look._

This can either be read as Mo/Glitch friendship or MoGlitch. I wrote it with the latter in mind, where Mo's in an on-and-off relationship with MacCoy but is falling in love with his budding protege. The title 'Fine China' was inspired by the Chris Brown song of the same name, in which he sings about wanting to replace a girl's crappy boyfriend. Personal headcanons say that Mo's in a confusing, heartbreaking relationship with MacCoy but has an explosive yet far easier friendship with Glitch, which he wants to take to the next level now that he's growing into a mature, strong babe.


	2. Chapter 2

The more Glitch promised to stay with Mo, the farther away he became.

Maybe if Dance Central Intelligence hadn't opted to trap Tan in the timestream, Hi-Def's founder would've been able to split his mind between losing Glitch and DCI duties. Would've been better than dealing with the present, because every vein in his body pulsed with worry.

Holding onto Glitch was like trying to hold onto water. Not ice cubes or one of his protege's Arrowhead bottles, either. Just straight, pure water.

Bits and pieces of his understudy were the same. Sure, Glitch was still adorable and still exploded whenever anything Kingdom Hearts-related was announced, but his mere presence commanded attention. Everyone in the room, by law, was required to turn their heads because there was something about him. Something thunderous and so electrifying, it was violent. Like having air surge into your lungs, after you've been underwater for too long.

Mo Brea was one of those people that wanted the world to remain still. With his Nanobyte spreading his wings, though, he realized how stupid it was to believe he could press 'pause' on anything. The world wasn't standing still. _He_ was. And in its wake he'd be left. Without Glitch. Without anything that made the world feel familiar. Warm.

Safe.

Mo's mind kept returning to the days of Dance Central's first season, when DCI would've been nothing more than a bedtime story, if he had heard about it back then. Dance Central's earliest days saw a more confident Brea, one that could handle any and all problems with a hearty smile. In the wake of Dance Central 3-

Mo learned what it was like to come undone.

Sure, he remained confident and cheerful on the outside. The same way Glitch was still adorable on some occasions. But-

So much had changed.

Mo thought about it. Thought about heading back into DCI Headquarters and asking permission to use the time travel device. He was DCI Chief, after all, holding a rank higher than Rasa and Lima. But as quickly as the idea was born, he shot it down. Rasa would only tell him something like 'can't do it, too risky, Tan's still in the stream'. Both he and Lima cared about their Chief, and the others, far too much to put any of them in danger.

But all he wanted to do was check on something.

Maybe Mo was being too much of a scaredy-cat. He knew his old self, the one promoting Dance Central's earlier days, would be laughing at him. 'Chill, bro,' his younger self would tell him, smiling. 'If th' kid says he's not leavin', what are ya worried about?'

Plenty, Mo's present self would say in retaliation. There was a shit load to worry about because things weren't the way they used to be. Glitch wasn't small, wasn't stuck to his every word, wasn't shy or nervous about hitting the dance floor any more. Wasn't the center of attention with throngs of doting fanboys and fangirls.

He had gone from 'aw, lookit Mo's cute little partner, let's pet him' to the level of teen heartthrob. Someone guys and chicks would hang posters in their room over. And that was just around the neighborhood.

Once Rasa and Lima announced Dance Central's fourth season-

It would happen. It was already happening. Mo was well on his way to-

"Yo, Mochi. Still with me?"

With a gasp, the Brea returned to the present, eyes widened in alarm. His protege (was it right to even still use that term?) had bonked him on the head with a gentle fist. Wearing his goggles. He didn't know if Glitch borrowed a page from MacCoy's book, or if he was just keeping up with the trends, but-

The goggles were just another part of it.

Glitch's voice was firm but soft. Loving. Just as it had always been, and always would be. "Stop spacin' out on me, aight? Gotta stay with me if we're gonna win this thing," he chided his mentor, making sure all of his artillery was inside his bag. Had to be prepared for the night's dance-off, right?

"You've been weirdin' out on me all week, Mo. Ya think I'm th' one goin' through mood swings, but you've been all over th' place!"

Mo remained silent for just one more second, going back to staring off into space, then-

"Yo. G?"

Glitch stopped checking the contents of his bag. "What?"

"I was just thinkin'...maybe you could...I dunno. Take care of it yourself?"

"Take care of _what?"_ the younger half of Hi-Def snapped, not at all appreciative of where the conversation of going. Mo had been pretty hard to read lately, but Glitch could sense the path his mentor was taking. Mo wearing one of his sad smiles didn't make things any better.

"I dunno. The match. You'll be able to deal with it on your own."

Glitch was both a cheetah ready to pounce, and a kettle ready to explode. Reading Mo was as easy as reciting his ABCs when Hi-Def first started off. Once they hit the midpoint of Dance Central 3, reading the Brea was no different from deciphering ancient dialects. For the last couple of months, trying to figure out Mo had been no different from eating cement paste. "Where is this coming from?" Hi-Def's protege asked, his words slow, methodical.

Mo kept smiling. "Ain't gotta get so uptight, G. You'll do jus' fine on yer own."

Glitch decided to cut Mo some slack. Maybe something was actually wrong. What if there had been another fight with MacCoy? Could've been upset stomach, tired (Mo was late to bed and too early to rise), hungry-

"What, y' ain't feelin' too hot?"

"Naw, I'm good, I'm good. Just think ya don't need me any more."

_There it was._

There. It. Was.

"You'll do jus' fine on yer own. Trust me. I know how to-"

The rest of Mo's words were forced into silence by Glitch raising a fist, poised to strike. But then the fist was dropped. His head was bowed, furious green eyes hidden from view, hand shaking-

"Can't believe it."

"What?" Mo asked, his voice a hushed, frantic murmur, halfway between moved and worried. Whereas MacCoy had kept going with his raised fist, Glitch stopped his. And the Brea knew where their conversation was going. He knew it and made him smile. More than he wanted to in front of his pissed off protege, but it made him smile.

On the inside and outside.

Glitch's words were slow, crisp, ablaze with horror and wrath. "Can't believe you just said that. I don't need ya any more?! Is THAT what this has been all about?! You've been all weird on me because you don't think I need you any more?"

The once confident, powerful Mo said nothing, lodged between helplessness and sheer happiness. His understudy's tearful green eyes pierced his with the innocence he once knew, and the fiery courage he had come to love more than air.

"That's a load o' bullshit and you know it, Mo! I _do_ need you! More than anything! I'll _always_ need you! Yer th' one that..."

He stopped, bowed his head once more, trying to shake off faces he could not remember.

"Yer th' one that gave me a home. A name. A _life._ And I don't need you any more? That's like sayin' I don't need to breathe any more."

Mo wanted to sweep Glitch into his arms, smother him, take him to Disneyland and just love him beyond the end of time, because never before had he been so proud of his friend. His hero.

His other half.


	3. Chapter 3

Flashback chapter. This is set prior to Dance Central 2.

Personal headcanons have Mo home-schooling Glitch, because every bullet point in Glitch's background is a blank slate. But imagine things as you see fit!

* * *

It had been another long, hard battle, one neither of them would forget. With every second of it etched into their minds, they trudged back into their apartment. A haven full of video games, photographs, warmth. And with shining green eyes, Glitch looked into his friend's face and said something that had been tugging on him, ever since they left the battlefield.

"Can we do it again tomorrow? Please?"

Mo smiled at his roommate, the ball of light he dubbed 'Glitch'. Just a few minutes ago, his younger half was afraid of turning the bathtub knob, in fear of breaking it and causing a city-wide flood. Coming home from the basketball courts led the Brea to realize something: his new friend, the one that never should've been abandoned, was comfortable. There was still a bit of work to be done, but Glitch never hid from any more of his friends. Mo leaving no longer sent him into volcanic eruptions of panic.

A lot of progress really had been made.

Glitch was peering into his protector's eyes with eyes made of diamonds, sugar and sunshine. Wide-eyed, innocent and eager, he pawed at his chin. "Can we play again tomorrow, Mo?"

"Sure we can, Nanobyte. After ya get 'cher homework done, of course!"

"I'll do it, I promise," his roommate vowed, as if he were heading off to war to avenge a fallen empire. Then, as if on cue, Glitch headed towards the bathroom. Protocol, of course: take a bath after every battle. "Lemme help with dinner," he called over his shoulder, as a last-minute footnote. Not wanting Mo to take the reigns himself.

Glitch's host chuckled; a light, warm sound. "Nah, man, I'll take care of it. Just do what 'cha gotta do, all right?"

The green-eyed gladiator wasn't going down without a fight. "Lemme help ya," he shot from the recesses of the bathroom. And on went the water. Mo's smile broadened; it was only yesterday he turned the knob an inch, then burst into tears.

It had been a good game, with them two of them going against Bodie and his childhood friend Emilia. One of Bodie's favorite hobbies was a great way to acquaint Glitch with the water, and it was working like a charm. Out of all Mo's friends, Bodie was the only one Glitch was instantly comfortable with, taking to him like a cd took to a boombox. Sure, Emilia had him on edge, but only for a few minutes. In no time at all, their first game was on like Donkey Kong, made purely for fun.

It had been a good day. And even better days were ahead.

Sure, Mo was still incensed over no one coming after the kid. How couldn't he be? Family was just as important as breathing. Yet Glitch couldn't even remember his birth name?

The Brea grimaced over memories of their first meeting. When he first approached the little ball of light on the Santa Monica Pier, he cowered in instinctive fear, out of the need to protect himself. Glitch's nightmares had only just stopped, each one worst than the last, filled with him crying out in words Mo couldn't understand. But their tone was crystal clear. The nameless ball of light was scared. Lost. Trapped in a world without his Mo or any other friends, when the night took him away.

MacCoy's boyfriend bit his bottom lip. _If anyone was going to come after the kid, there were going to be shit out of luck._

_ I'll take a bullet for the kid. I'm not lettin' anyone come for him. Not now. No way in Hell._

"Mo?"

The older breakdancer gasped. How much time had passed since his stroll down Memory Lane? Glitch was right in front of him, green eyes doused in worry. Mo had made it into the kitchen, but had only just started dinner prep.

Ack. Nanobyte was probably hungry, too.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, sorry about that," Glitch's other half assured him instantly, patting him on the head. "Just a lil' tired, that's all."

"Then let me help you!"

"No, already! No means no, now go sit down, aight?"

Pouting, the sphere of light took a seat in the living room. Mo couldn't help but chuckle over what Glitch was wearing-yet another one of his new lounge outfits he had just bought for him, last week. His smile grew warmer the moment Glitch picked up something; his tablet. One of the gifts Mo made a part of his 'Welcome Home' project. He introduced Glitch to all of the ways one could play with a tablet, but he preferred a close, intimate relationship with his homework. Glitch always used it as a study tool first.

That time was no different. And they had just come home another battle. Mo's roommate had gone off into the vast region of Antarctica, learning more about its people and climate, making sure he memorized everything there was to know about polar bears (even though he had the world's most laidback teacher).

"Did I do a good job today, Mo?"

"Sure ya did, G," said the chef from the kitchen, working on one of his roommate's favorites (which doubled as a special family recipe). Glitch adored his stew, but then again, he'd adore deep fried cockroaches if they were made by the warm, soft and beautiful dancer.

"Took to th' game really quick! I'm proud o' ya. With a little more practice, you'll be better than B, I know it!"

Glitch peered at the chef again, eyes alive with emotion. "Thank you for letting me play."

"Yer welcome, G," Mo replied instantly, overflowing with light.

"Did they like me?"

A playful scowl came into play. "Why wouldn't they?"

Beaming, almost ready to burst into song, Glitch returned to his tablet. "They'd be down with playin' us again, so don't worry about that," Mo assured him, chopping away at a round of vegetables.

"What ya need to be worried about is tomorrow's showdown. Then again, ya dance like you've been dancin' since you were born, so..."

Glitch slowly bowed his head. All focus on National Geographic was gone.

_Shit. Shit shit shit. Dammit, I'm as dumb as fuck._

Mo left his work station. Rushing to his friend's side with worried, tender eyes, he spoke softly. "Ey. Ey, I'm sorry, Nano. I-"

Filled with tears, green eyes pierced him. "You think I'll do okay?"

Huh? Nothing about his family, the whole 'you've been dancing since you were born' comment?

"Ain't nothin' t' think about," the Brea said after promptly shaking off his confusion, ruffling Glitch's hair.

"Yer gonna blow everybody out the water. Just know it. I know how t' pick 'em!"


	4. Chapter 4

As the hours trickled off the clock, waves kissed the shores. Sunlight melted into rich, toasty light made of marshmallows. As the sun was making its way off the stage, families and lovers were heading home, having had their fill of beach magic and ready for a good night's rest. Another day was well on its way to unfolding-but for a certain chief of Dance Central Intelligence, the present day was anything _but_ done.

Glitch wasn't anywhere in the picture. For the fifth thousand time that week, he had been summoned elsewhere; a magical place known as one of the local battlegrounds. After promoting their crew in flawless freestyle once again, he'd return home and work on more outfits. Sure, the hours weren't even close to what they used to be, but at least his protege's overcrowded schedule gave Mo room to breathe.

He wanted to stay as close as possible to Glitch, not wanting him to disappear the moment he took his eyes off of him. But being even within five yards of his prodigy made Mo wanted to grip the sides of his head and scream. Not a big deal, really. Just being so close to losing someone so precious made him want to scream bloody murder. For the night, though, screaming himself raw was shelved in favor of Bodie's company.

And Bodie's company was definitely something he needed.

They were planted in the Parker's living room, right next to a window with a refreshing view of a liquefied diamond. They were sitting right across from each other, only separated by Bodie's little table. The warm, cheerful host of Dance Central Live would've been more than happy to have company, if it had been two o'clock in the morning. As least Mo could breathe around_him,_ knowing the blonde stud didn't mind his friend sitting inside his beachside condo as the skies grew darker.

"Good game today, huh? You guys had some pretty sweet moves out there!"

The Brea grimaced, but only for a second. "Thanks," he replied with one of his smiles. "But all _I_ did was take a few moves out a pro's book."

"Never hurts to learn from a pro," Emilia's best friend chimed in, eyes twinkling. His eyes dimmed; a subject he didn't want to tread upon came up. He loved Mo beyond words, but his next question wasn't something he could ignore.

"He's learned a bit himself, hasn't he? Sure isn't playing the way he used to."

Mo thought about 'him' for a moment. He returned to the days of an eager yet shy, anxious ball of light scrambling on the basketball court, working to get as many points as possible as if he were in charge of building the Eiffel Tower. During his first games with his new heroes, Glitch burst into tears whenever he missed a shot, but quickly rebounded with his mentor's hearty, warm support.

That night saw Glitch playing so well, no one would've been surprised to see him walking on water. Least of all Mo.

"B, can I ask ya somethin'?"

"Sure, shoot," the Chief's friend said, his voice as soft as the ocean breeze rolling around. Compassion laced his eyes; he knew he had jumped onto a field of land mines. Emilia (or big sis Lia) was always telling him to be more tactful. 'Stop being such a dumbass, bro', were her gentle words of wisdom. But-

_I know it's been bothering him._

Still smiling, but with a tinge of sadness, Mo went on. "It always seems like yer doin' a lot, even though we're off-season. How come? Ain't 'cha ever tired?"

"Huh?! Wha-no, not at all." the tv show host with three other titles to his name gasped, palms held up in surrender. The Brea chuckled over his friend's rosy red cheeks. One of Bodie's strengths was the ability to become easily embarrassed.

"Don't mind me! I love everything I do. It's not tiring at all. I mean, you've only got one chance to do it right, right? And if you're not gonna do it right, don't do it at all? Or something like that."

Emilia's big brother rubbed the back of his neck; a sure sign of nervousness. "Wait. Lia always says 'hit the ground running because you've only got one shot. Don't miss it because you'll never get it back'."

"Guess that's been yer crew motto, huh?"

"Yeah, guess you could say that," Bodie chuckled shyly. "Before every battle we bro-fist each other and say 'hit the ground running'. Sounds silly, doesn't it?"

"Not t' me," Mo replied instantly, shaking his head, his smile even weaker than before. "But hey. Didja ever wanna just play ball? Instead of, ya know, hittin' th'-"

In Bodie's book, interrupting someone was a crime worthy of a time-out. But desperate times called for desperate measures. "I don't like where this is going, Chief," he said, voice taking on uncharacteristic, rare firmness. Sure, he became close to Mo, Glitch and the others during Dance Central 2. But DC's third season saw them becoming a _family._ People, hearts cemented together. With Mo at the head of things, leading the way as Dance Central Intelligence's director.

But the Chief was steering the conversation into murky waters.

"Nah, man, I ain't sayin' nothin'. Nothin' like that. Just wonderin' if you ever wanted to play ball."

"If I've ever considered choosing ball or joining Dance Central, no, I haven't," the Parker replied sternly, with his own frown. He was visibly uncomfortable with being anything less than sweet and bubbly, but whenever a friend pointed him in dangerous waters, it was his responsibility to steer back into the clear.

"But if I were ever given the choice, I'd choose to stay right where I am. In a heartbeat."

The Chief's smile made a comeback. "Besides," Bodie went on, encouraged by his friend's reaction. "Who says I can't do it all, huh? I must be doing something right, with my Chief being proud of me and all."

Mo patted the other's hand. "Yeah, I am. You dunno how proud I am of ya."

For a moment, the only sound in Bodie's little home was the ocean's melody. In that moment, they reflected on everything that had led them to that point-their strongest points of reflection being Dance Central 3, in which they worked tirelessly to suppress DCI's latest threat. But then Emilia's other half broke the silence, looking at his friend with eyes made of moonlight.

"Mo, how come you just can't take him at his word? If Glitch says he won't leave you, he won't leave you. Right?"

Glitch's mentor said nothing at first, eyes falling into the waves of the outside world. "I just can't, ya know?" he replied, clutching the one thing he never took off: his pendant. The only thing he had left of his father.

"I've tried, over and over again. Believe me, B, I've tried. But the more I try...the worse shit gets. The more he tells me he ain't leavin', the more I feel left in th' dark. Him tellin' me shit like that should make it all right, but..."

Mo laid his forehead on his knee. "We aren't where we used t' be. I dunno, maybe I'm a dumbass for wantin' everythin' to stay th' same. But...the more time passes, the...harder it is for me to see him. It ain't like that for you 'n Em, I know it ain't."

Bodie, with the compassionate, firm tone of a funeral director, took his friend's hand.

"Mo...it's because I'm not going through puberty."

His Chief burst into laughter, tears streaking his face, and Bodie had one thought flow through his mind.

_I really CAN do something right._

* * *

Author's Notes: This originally was supposed to focus more on just Mo and Glitch, but the story's message has already been set up, and I'd rather not water anything down. Besides, I see the crews as a very close, loving family, and with Glitch sprouting, he's no longer spending ample amounts of time with his mentor.

Mo's last name came from Square-Enix's character Aya Brea. Her last name jumped out at me because it sounds warm, musical and beautiful, just as I picture Mo to be. Bodie's last name just came out of the blue.


	5. Chapter 5

"Mo, how come you just can't take him at his word? If Glitch says he won't leave you, he won't leave you. Right?"

Glitch's mentor said nothing at first, eyes falling into the waves of the outside world. "I just can't, ya know?" he replied, clutching the one thing he never took off: his pendant. The only thing he had left of his father.

"I've tried, over and over again. Believe me, B, I've tried. But the more I try...the worse shit gets. The more he tells me he ain't leavin', the more I feel left in th' dark. Him tellin' me shit like that should make it all right, but..."

Mo laid his forehead on his knee. "We aren't where we used t' be. I dunno, maybe I'm a dumbass for wantin' everythin' to stay th' same. But...the more time passes, the...harder it is for me to see him. It ain't like that for you 'n Em, I know it ain't."

Bodie, with the compassionate, firm tone of a funeral director, took his friend's hand.

"Mo...it's because I'm not going through puberty."

His Chief burst into laughter, tears streaking his face, and Bodie had one thought flow through his mind.

_I really CAN do something right._

* * *

Visiting his friend should've put him at ease, and it did for a moment. But Bodie only served as a reminder of what he was in danger of losing. The world that teetered on the edge of a cliff, and got closer to falling off with every breath Mo took.

Why was he so afraid of losing everything when it was sealed in cement? It could've stemmed from losing a father before he even had the chance to meet him, losing his grandmother or losing the boyfriend that beat him unconscious after they were friends for a thousand years. Sitting in his apartment, the home he shared with Glitch, sent the Brea into a vortex of reflection. He should've taken the surfing stud up on his offer to spend the night, but the last thing Mo ever wanted to be was a burden.

Case in point: Glitch.

Moonlight cast a blanket of Mo that left him unsettled. Glitch, once again, was out and about, showing the world just how amazing he had become. He started off running, one hell of a dancer and the undisputed champion of World's Cutest Creature. But in just the blink of an eye, Mo's other half had-

Well, left him behind.

Glitch divided his time between promoting Hi-Def, spending time with their friends and just dancing for the fun of it, because why the hell not? Life was too short to live quietly. But whether he was with his best friend, T, or hitting up a dance stadium somewhere, Mo didn't know. It was all left to the imagination.

Emilia pulled Bodie's verbal salve and rubbed it on Mo's wounds: "Why don't you just relax, sweetie? Glitch would never do anything to hurt you." Double reinforcement of something that should've been obvious. Part of Mo was just dying to believe that simple logic. But there was a distinct difference between the Glitch he knew during Dance Central 2, and the Glitch he had just seen a few hours ago.

The line between dreams and reality was constantly being blurred.

The one defying gravity, time and description walked into their apartment and closed the door behind him, entering a world of deafening silence. He would've launched into a reel of what had gone down the last couple of hours, hanging with T and other local crews, but he found his other half sitting smack dab in the living room. Head bowed, looking at old magazine covers and photos. The closer Glitch got, the easier the photos and magazine covers were to see-and they were all of Dance Central's previous seasons.

Instant red flag: Mo only got out photo albums and things like that whenever something was wrong. Did it whenever he thought of MacCoy or his family.

Glitch spoke to him and approached him as if he were made of glass, able to shatter if his voice was even a decibel too high. "Wassup? You okay? Don't tell me yer thinkin' o' him again," the protégé (was it even right to call him that any more?) said softly, kneeling beside the Brea. But Mo shook his head, gentle brown eyes doused in sadness.

"Not even close, G."

The prodigy (definitely a more accurate word) took another look at the album sprawled before his Chief. Not only were they from DC's old seasons, but they were of their old performances. Interviews with music video channels and reporters. Silence returned to their apartment while they looked through the images, memories of a precious past, with Glitch gently taking them back to the sounds of a loud reality. "I remember this one, yo," he chuckled, a light, hearty sound that accompanied a photo. He spoke but Mo kept his head bowed, eyes and mind immersed in a world of thought.

"It was from _that_ round, right? One of yer favorite routines. Got a lotta lip from old man Rasa about comin' back late, but hey, I take full responsibility."

It was a ping pong match between silence and a storm. The match was once again brought to an end by Glitch's gentle voice, accompanied by a hand that landed on the Brea's back.

"Yer not still thinkin' I'm jumpin' ship, are ya?"

It was Mo's turn to chuckle, but it wasn't nearly as pleasant. "Can ya blame me? I mean, look at'cha, Nanobyte! I can't even call ya that anymore."

"Says who?" the prodigy pouted playfully, showing off a flash of his younger self. That happened sometimes, Glitch returning to his puppy state, but it never lasted long enough. "I don't mind it, Chief. 'Sides, I still call ya Princess 'cuz ya still act like one."

An attempt to lighten the tension went under the bridge. "Musta been jus' yesterday you were bumpin' my elbow," the Brea said, going through more of his albums. "Now you've gone and-"

"Say it and I'll bust yer ankle. I mean it."

"See, ya wouldna said shit like that back then," a smiling, slightly radiant Mo said, looking at a stone-cold serious Glitch.

The brunette went from iron-clad fury to a face that said 'I've heard that song too many times'. "Can't tell ya how sick I am of you thinkin' I'm gonna leave ya behind, Princess. I mean, I'll say it as many times as I gotta: I ain't goin' anywhere, unless ya get sick me enough t' kill me."

Mo cocked an eyebrow at him. "Like that would ever happen."

The prodigy threw his arms in the air, maestro style. "See, then we're set! Now quit being such a whiny _old_ brat and get t' bed, already! It's almost midnight, dumbass!"

Glitch rose to leave, but before he could vanish, just as he had vanished a million times before that week, the Brea stopped him. Smiling, almost beaming, still very much afraid of the future but even more proud of his protégé than before.

"Yo. Where were ya tonight, anyway?"

"I told ya," was the instant response, topped off with a sigh. "I was hangin' with T and a coupla cats from down the street. Quit with th' games, Mochi. Yer not cute anymore."

The younger part of Hi-Def retreated into the shower, while Hi-Def's founder gathered all of his photo albums, still beaming, hurting over how far they had come, and how he still stood at the edge of the earth.

Not knowing of what was running through Glitch's mind, of what Glitch himself had buried in the past, Mo prepared himself for bed with a smile. There was another mystery he carried with him to bed:

How his pull towards his prodigy was intensifying.


End file.
